1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a structure for the rear part of a vehicle and particularly relates to a structure in which an upper back front skeleton is disposed along a front edge of an upper back panel.
2. Related Art
In the vehicle body rear structure for a vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No. 2009-23367 (patent document 1), a rear package tray (an upper back panel) is disposed between height direction middle portions of right and left side panels that configure right and left sides of a vehicle body. A cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction is disposed on the front edge of the rear package tray. The cross member has an upper cross member and a lower cross member that are joined to one another to form a closed cross section that extends in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the right and left ends of the rear package tray and the upper cross member are coupled to the right and left side panels via sheet-like joining members, and the right and left ends of the lower cross member are coupled to the right and left side panels via L-shaped members. Rear wheel wells having shapes that protrude inward in the vehicle width direction are formed under the right and left L-shaped members, and the upper portions of the rear wheel wells and the L-shaped members are coupled to one another by tower members.
In the vehicle body rear structure for a vehicle having the configuration described above, a skeleton (hereinafter called an upper back front skeleton) that has a closed cross-sectional shape and extends in the vehicle width direction is formed by the cross member, the right and left joining members, and the right and left L-shaped members. The upper back front skeleton forms the upper edge of an opening of a trunk pass-through that communicates the cabin and the trunk. Furthermore, retractors (seat belt take-up devices) that take up seat belts for restraining occupants seated in rear seats are housed inside the vehicle width direction ends of the upper back front skeleton—that is, inside the closed cross-sectional space formed by the joining members and the L-shaped members. A similar structure is disclosed in JP-A No. 2003-312544 (patent document 2).
The upper back front skeleton described above greatly contributes to the rigidity (particularly the torsional rigidity) of the vehicle body, so in order to improve the steering stability of the vehicle, it is necessary that the rigidity of the upper back front skeleton be well ensured. However, due to the relationship between the upper back front skeleton and members disposed near the upper back front skeleton and the relationship between the upper back front skeleton and the breadth of the trunk, there are cases where it is difficult to ensure a sufficient area for the closed cross section of the upper back front skeleton. Even in such cases, there is room for improvement in order to ensure the rigidity of the vehicle body.